


We Could Be Immortals - Origins

by Romansleftshoulderpad



Series: We Could Be Immortals AU [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Eventual ships within the AU but not in this fic, Gen, High School AU, Human AU, Trans Characters, alcohol mention, background ships, because I also have asthma and yeehaw, because I'm trans and yeehaw, character with asthma, super powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:48:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22160572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Romansleftshoulderpad/pseuds/Romansleftshoulderpad
Summary: When four teens find spirits as old as time, they realize their lives may never be the same ever again.
Series: We Could Be Immortals AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1595107
Comments: 3
Kudos: 52





	1. We Could Be Immortals

Logan kept bouncing his leg. The clock was ticking. The fans of the computers next to him were whirring. All three were almost in time. Almost. Almost. It was almost enough to drive him mad.

“Hey,” Virgil whispered, leaning across the gap between their desks. “Wanna get into some trouble tonight?”

“Absolutely not,” Logan said, bouncing his leg even faster.

“I’ll cover for you,” Virgil said. He smiled brightly and his eyes seemed to sparkle against his dark skin. “You can sleepover, it’ll be fun.”

“Your idea of fun involves sneaking into the forest late at night and getting drunk with Roman Duke.”

“Excuse you, only Roman was drunk that night,” Virgil said. “And this time we’re going into a cave.”

“No way!”

“Pleeeeaaaaseee,” Virgil begged. “I’ll give you the answers to our English test next Thursday.”

“I’m not going to cheat on a test,” Logan whispered. “And I’m not going to any caves. Just let me finish this assignment, please.”

“C’mon, please?”

“How did you even get the answers, anyway?”

“I have a cousin who owes me a few favors.”

“Oh no, is it-“

“Shush!” Virgil exclaimed dramatically. “We do not speak his name!”

The bell rang and Logan sighed, quickly putting away his binder and pens. Virgil put a hand on his shoulder, quickly pulling his attention away from getting ready. “Just think about it, okay? I won’t let anything bad happen to you. Just think about it.”

Logan let out a deep breath and nodded. By the time he grabbed his things, Virgil was already far from sight.

Logan wasn’t one to fall for the idea of “the fear of missing out” or whatever it was advertisers said to guilt consumers into buying their products. He fully believed that if he kept looking forward then one day he would be successful, and therefore happy. He was always looking forward.

Which is why having a friend like Virgil confused him so much. Virgil was always so present. He lived in the moment. He has adventures in the woods and caves simply because he enjoyed the adrenaline rush. He and Logan were like yin and yang.

This is why, at 7 o’clock on a school night, Logan almost couldn’t believe that he was at Virgil’s front door.

“Logan!” Virgil said with a smile, his hair pulled back into dreadlocks with purple at the ends. “Glad I’m not alone with this nerd,” he teased and Logan noticed a shorter boy waving from behind him.

“Ah you didn’t mention there would be any company,” Logan said awkwardly, tensing up as Virgil pulled him inside.

“Oh, uh, yeah, Patton dropped in sort of last minute,” Virgil said, before murmuring, “Remy dropped him off here so now we’re on babysitting duty.”

“I see.”

“Sorry about that,” Virgil said, his voice soft but thick like a warm blanket. “I’ll warn you next time.”

The three of them sat down at Virgil’s kitchen table, talking and snacking on bowls of pretzels and popcorn. “So, uh,” Logan mumbled awkwardly, unconfident in his ability to make small talk, “how do you know Virgil?”

“He’s a friend of a boyfriend of a cousin,” Virgil explained. Patton sat in silence, putting more popcorn into his mouth.

“He who shall not be named?”

Virgil laughed. “Yeah. Him.”

Patton only glanced between them in confusion, clearly missing out on a joke. He ate more popcorn.

There was a noise at the door and all laughter quickly came to silence. The noise repeated. Over and over again. “Is that rocks?” Patton asked.

“It’s in three to five-second intervals,” Logan said.

“You counted?” Virgil asked with a laugh.

“Counting calms me down.”

Virgil grabbed a metal baseball and headed towards the door. When another rock came towards the door he quickly swung the bat and hit it back.

“FUCK!”

“Talk shit, get hit, you little bitch!”

Logan and Patton tried to see outside but neither of them recognized the voice outside.

“YOU HIT MY EYE!”

“You hit my door.”

“YOU’RE A FUCKING ASSHOLE!”

Virgil rolled his eyes and dropped his bat. “Just get in here, dumbass.” He turned to Logan and Patton. “We have a full cave hunting crew now.”

“Hi!” Patton said with a bright smile and a wave. It was almost disgusting how quickly he could turn cheerful.

Roman held a hand over his eye and dramatically muttered expletives at Virgil. “Guess it’s a party now.”

“Shitty party,” Logan said.

“Just get some ice on your eye, Ro,” Virgil said. “We’re leaving in five minutes.”

“It’ll be sunset in five minutes,” Patton said.

Virgil smirked. “Isn’t that the point?”

Logan bounced his leg under the table. He was starting to get anxious. What if they got lost or separated? What if something bad happened? What if-? _What if-? **What if-?**_

“Good thing you have a handsome knight with you,” Roman teased, jumping up on the counter with a smile.

“Who? Patton?”

“Virgil, I will fight you.”

“I’d like to see you try, you asthmatic hoe.”

“Excuse you! ¡No soy una azada, tu perra!” Roman yelled in false offense.

“No swearing in front of the baby,” Virgil said. “Patton is only 15. He’s so young. So innocent. You’re tainting him.”

“Virgil, you’re _16_ ,” Logan pointed out.

“Exactly. I am much older and wiser than this toddler.”

“And _you’re_ swearing,” Roman rebutted.

“Prove it, fucker.”

Logan sighed, burying his face in his hands. Roman threw a frozen pea at Virgil. “You’re a dumbass,” they both said.

“Yeah, we’ll you three are the dumbasses I’m going to sacrifice to the old cave deities.” He grabbed a couple of flashlights and buried his keys into his pocket. “Now let’s go.”

The sight of the four of them walking together seemed so foreign yet so familiar to Logan. He and Virgil had always been close, just as Roman was close with Virgil. And Patton? He was just one of the many poor fools strung into Virgil’s idea of a good time.

“I feel like we need a dog,” Logan said quietly, shrinking his flashlight at the ground in front of him.

Patton gasped with a happy smile. “We do!”

“I call being Fred!” Roman yelled.

“Sure thing, Daphne,” Virgil teased.

“Daphne?! How dare you- uh- Shaggy!”

Virgil spun around and shone his flashlight under his chin causing his features to look sharper as he blended into the shadows. “An all-powerful god who is simultaneously a cultural icon as well as mysteriously unknown to the feeble power of the human mind?” He laughed. “Nice insult, Roman.”

“Besides, Shaggy totally tops Fred.”

“No way,” Patton said.

“Shaggy tops Fred and Velma bottoms to Daphne,” Logan continued. “So the day we get a dog, Virgil and Roman have to fuck.”

“Guess that makes you Velma,” Roman said.

“Definitely.”

“So by extension,” Virgil said with a laugh, “you and Patton get to have spooky, ghosty sex when we get a dog.”

Logan cringed, desperately avoiding looking in Patton’s direction. “I take back everything I said.”

Virgil laughed, falling back into the group just enough to wrap an arm around Logan’s shoulder. He shone his light on a pile of rocks. “Almost there, lads.”

Just enough light shone towards Patton to show how he beamed at the word. It was just enough for Logan to notice how young he looked. Despite being a sophomore, he would have barely passed for a freshman. Logan wondered if he ever skipped a grade.

“Be careful,” Virgil said as they walked into the cave. His grip around Logan tightened protectively. _Is he worried about me? Or am I a puppet to hide his own fear?_

Patton screamed, quickly slapping his hand over his mouth. The other three froze before turning to see what his light was pointed at.

“Is that a dead rabbit?” Virgil asked, moving closer to it. “Cool!”

“NOT COOL!” Patton squeaked. He mumbled under his breath, “Why couldn’t I just watch cartoons with Emile?”

“I’m gonna steal its foot,” Virgil said.

“Strip a naked man of his foot?” Roman asked. “Really?”

“Naked?” Logan questioned.

“Yes, Logan, naked. As in not wearing clothes.”

“What would a rabbit need clothes for?”

“A very important date, of course!” Roman whined out. “Have you no sense of wonder?”

“Have you no sense of proper grammar?”

“I’m gonna steal the foot,” Virgil repeated, touching the animal’s decaying flesh.

“That is absolutely disgusting.”

“Stop!” Patton cried out, squeezing his eyes closed and holding his hands over his ears.

“Are you okay?” Roman whispered. Patton shook his head and Roman could see a few stray tears rolling down his cheeks. “Virgil, stop,” he ordered, pulling the younger boy into his arms. “You’re upsetting Patton.”

Virgil and Logan froze, Virgil’s fingers brushing against the rabbit’s fur. He pulled his hand back quickly when he saw Patton’s face. “Pat, I’m so sorr-“

“What the hell is happening to your hand?” Roman blurted. He shone a flashlight on it. “Violet, you’re turning violet!”

His fingers were turning purple as the hue began to spread down his skin. “Holy shit,” Virgil breathed out. “I- uh- I think we should go home.”

“No shit,” Logan murmured, his eyes growing wide with fear.

“It’s fine we’ll just turn a-“ Virgil stopped in his tracks. The entrance was completely blocked. “No way. No fucking way.”

“Are we going to die here?!” Logan shouted, his breathing growing frantic to the point where he was nearly hyperventilating. 

“We’re not going to die,” Roman said. He heard growing behind him and came face to face with a faceless monster made of smoke and fog. “I TAKE IT BACK, WE’RE GOING TO DIE!”

“What do we do?!” Patton screamed.

“RUN!” Virgil yelled before punching the monster in the face, shocked to find that his hand didn’t go through the fog. It was like punching a brick wall, only he felt no pain. He figured he could buy his friends some time to escape.

Roman had scooped Patton and Logan into each of his arms and ran further into the cave. “You are ridiculously strong,” Patton commented.

“And I’m ridiculously scared for my life!” Logan yelled.

Roman turned behind a wall and let Patton and Logan to their feet before collapsing on the ground. He was panting for air, clutching his chest with each breath and wheezing with every exhale.

“Is he okay?” Patton whispered.

“He has asthma,” Logan explained. “And I’m guessing the dumbass didn’t bring his inhaler.”

“F- _uuuck_ y- _ooouu_ ,” Roman wheezed, with a gesture to emphasize his point. He went into a coughing fit before trying to take a few deep breaths. “I didn’t think we’d be fucking running.”

Virgil caught up to them after a moment without even a drop of sweat on him. However, the same smoky black that made up the creature now seemed to cover his cheeks and the skin under his eyes. “Is Roman okay?”

“Are _you_ okay?” Roman asked, his voice still weak and strained.

“Is my hand still purple?”

“Your whole arm is purple.”

“Then no,” Virgil said. “Definitely not.”

“Oh hey shiny rock,” Roman said, weekly trying to pull himself from the ground.

“I think we’ve touched enough weird cave things,” Patton said cautiously.

“This isn’t Virgil’s evil zombie rabbit, though,” Roman said. He picked up the rock and turned it towards Patton. “See? It looks like an eye.”

“I wish you would put that away,” Patton mumbled.

“And I wish we were home, but-“

The cave filled with a cloud of green smoke coming from the rock. They all found themselves stuck in a coughing fit as they choked on the smog. In only a matter of seconds, they were all fast asleep.


	2. Some Legends Are Told

Virgil woke up in his bed, sitting up with a cold sweat. He looked over at his clock and noticed that it was nearly four in the morning. “It was all a dream,” he muttered, falling back against his pillow.

“I wish,” Logan whined. He was laying on the floor but it didn’t look like he had been sleeping at all. “I’ve been awake for three hours. Roman still has that stupid rock in his pocket.”

Virgil grabbed his phone and turned on his flashlight. From his fingertips to his shoulder was a dark shade of purple, but he felt no pain.

“Your face is still black.”

“Logan, all of me is black.”

“That’s not what I meant,” he groaned. “Words are hard at four A.M.”

“That’s not all that’s hard at four A.M,” Roman said with a laugh, he was awkwardly curled into a beanbag chair while Patton slept on the couch.

“How did we get home?” Virgil asked.

“Does it matter?” Logan countered. “We’re home. We’re safe.”

“I’m _purple.”_

“Just wear a hoodie to school.”

Virgil sat up and turned on his lamp, knowing there was no chance any of them were going back to sleep. “School?” he scoffed. “You have to be fucking kidding me.”

“Excuse me?”

“Logan, we almost _died!_ There are more important things than school!”

“Just because you’re so laid back, that doesn’t mean we all are, Virgil!”

“Laid back?” he scoffed. “Laid- fucking- back?” He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stared Logan down. Roman and Patton were exchanging glances, both wishing to disappear from the room. “I’m sorry Mr. Four-Point-Oh, that some of us are still working our asses off for lower than perfect! And I’m so fucking sorry that we can’t all be good enough for you!”

“I never should have come here.”

“So at least we agree on something then.”

“Guys, please, let’s just calm down and-“

“Stay out of this, Roman!” they both yelled.

“You know what, Logan? I don’t have to fucking deal with this,” Virgil said. “Get out of my house.”

“It’s four in the morning, asshole.”

“I don’t care,” Virgil said, clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white.

“Uh, guys,” Patton said quietly, staring at the lamp on Virgil’s nightstand and watching how the light began to flicker.

“Get OUT!” he yelled. The light went wild, flashing off and on faster and faster until the lightbulb shattered. Electricity sparked from Virgil’s fingertips, it was the only source of light left in the room.

“Woah,” Patton whispered.

“Put this fight on hold?” Logan asked, fear rising in his voice.

“Definitely,” Virgil murmured, too mesmerized by this apparent superpower of his to be mad.

“Do I get powers too?” Roman wondered aloud.

“Powers?” Logan asked. “This is a crime against humanity.”

“This fucking _slaps,”_ Virgil exclaimed.

“Two types of people.”

Virgil looked at his hand, sparks of electricity still jumping around his skin. “I… I think we need to go back to the cave.”

“What?”

“I,” Virgil corrected, “I need to go back. That… _thing,_ monster, whatever you want to call it, I think it gave me my powers. I think it’s connected to me.”

“Virgil, you can’t go there alone,” Logan said.

“And he won’t.”

“Roman.”

“No, I- Virgil isn’t the only one who did some freaky shit, okay? I-“ He pulled the rock out of his pocket. “I think I wished us out of there. I don’t care that it sounds stupid- the idea of my friend turning _purple_ sounds stupid!”

“We have to wait until sunrise,” Virgil said. “My parents have alarms on all the windows and doors.”

Roman pulled the rock out of his pocket and held it tightly in his hand. “Or do we?”

“Roman, there’s no way that can work twice,” Logan argued.

Roman smirked and grabbed hold of Virgil’s hand while keeping a tight grip on the rock. “Someone’s never seen Aladdin,” he laughed. “I wish to go back!”

That same green smoke poured from their clasped hands and flooded around them until there was nothing but green and their clasped hands in their sight. When the smoke cleared, they were hiding behind that same wall they had dove into to hide from the monster.

Only now, another figure stood by their side. He stood like a mannequin, omitting green smoke and embers. He was a man on fire. “Hello, Roman,” he said with a Cheshire-Cat smile made of fire that crackled with each syllable. “I have fulfilled my end of the bargain, it’s only fair that you fulfill yours.”

“What?” Roman asked, eyes wide with fear as he took a step back.

“Leave him alone!” Virgil yelled, swinging his fist at the man, but only finding himself stumbling forward, with burn marks on his fist.

The fire-man chuckled, smiling at Virgil’s arm. “Fear’s new pet, are you? You kids really should know better than to fight Creativity with storms.” He turned back to Roman and gripped his forearms causing the teen to scream in agony.

The black fog came rolling in and Virgil could see the shadows of antlers coming closer. “Fuck,” he muttered as the creature, Fear, came into view. He was bigger now. Unfortunately, fighting him seemed to be the only chance at saving Roman. He punched Fear in its snout.

“Silly boy,” Fear laughed, but it didn’t come from the monster; the voice was surrounding Virgil’s head. Fear’s jaws clamped onto Virgil’s leg. Pain flowed through his leg with static electricity shocking the bite marks. He opened his mouth to scream, but was quickly silenced by the fog filling his mouth and lungs. He felt as though he were suffocating, but his breathing was fine. He felt as if he were drowning, but no water could be found.

Fear was gone, but encompassing him all the same. He found himself in pitch-black darkness, hardly able to breathe by Roman’s side. “We’re going to die here,” Virgil mumbled.

“Virgil!” Voices echoed through the cave. “Roman!”

“Logan?” Roman asked.

“Virgil! Roman!” The echoes grew louder, closer.

“We’re over here!” Roman yelled. Virgil was still trying to catch his breath.

Logan and Patton ran over with flashlights. Logan immediately dove to Virgil’s side. “4-7-8, Virgil, c’mon,” he whispered. “Breathe with me, okay? Breathe.”

“Is he alright?” Patton whispered.

“I have no clue. The- the fog- those- those _monsters-”_ Roman stammered. _Are a part of you now._

“Virgil, I’m so sorry,” Logan said, tears welling in his eyes. “I- Virgil, I need you. Don’t go- please- don’t die.”

All were quiet for a moment as Virgil tried to regain his breathing and as Logan silently poured his heart out. Roman was the first to speak up. “I don’t think he can,” he whispered.

“What?” Virgil asked as the fog cleared from his mind. “Logan,” he murmured softly, pulling Logan into a tight hug.

“You’re okay,” Logan whispered, hiding his tears against Virgil’s shirt.

“Roman, what the hell are you talking about?” Patton asked.

Roman took a deep breath, staring at the eyes tattooed onto each of his forearms. A perfect match to the pattern on the rock. “I… I can _feel_ him,” he said. In a voice not quite his own, he continued, “He calls himself Remus. He told me that Virgil was ‘Fear’s newest pet.’ And… they’re not the only ones out there.”

“Well, that’s… creepy.”

“Hella.”

“How did you guys find us, anyway?” Virgil asked. “The cave was sealed shut last night. My parents have alarms.”

“Virgil, it’s ten A.M,” Logan said.

Patton continued, “We’ve been looking for you for three hours now.”

“We’ve hardly been here more than twenty minutes,” Virgil said. He thought for a moment, reaching out to gently brush his fingers over the tattoo on Roman’s arm. “Your powers- wish- whatever, it must’ve taken us a few hours to get back home. Maybe you have time manipulation? Or it takes a while to work? Or- I- I don’t know!”

“You’re hyperventilating,” Logan whispered and rubbed Virgil’s back as he took a moment to calm himself.

“How are you so good at this?”

“I’m just doing what you do with me every time I get nervous before a test.” Logan smiled and held open his arms for Virgil to fall into.

“I took a big stick and broke open the cave wall,” Patton announced proudly. Roman ruffled his hair and smiled back at him.

“We’re going to figure this out,” Logan said. “Roman, you said there’s more, right?”

“Two more,” Roman stated. “That’s all he’ll tell me.”

“We need to find them.”

“Logan, are you insane?!”

“Listen, okay, if we can find the others we can prevent them from dragging anyone else into this.”

“And if they’ve already chosen their targets?” Roman asked.

“Then we find out what they want,” Logan said. “And we stop them.”


	3. Heaven's Grief

A week had passed since the incident. Patton and Logan tried to go back to their normal routines; Roman and Virgil were far less fortunate. However, as a junior in high school, whatever magic powers and evil smoke men life throws at you, tests are more important.

“Are you okay?” Logan asked. “You’re shaking your leg, like, kind of a lot.”

“So are you, Poindexter,” Virgil bit back, gnawing on the skin of his thumb until it was raw with a noticeable chunk missing. “But you don’t see me getting on your ass about it.”

“Virgil,” Logan said softly. “You’ve been a lot more anxious since _it_ happened. And if anyone is going to pick up on that, it’s me.”

“There’s a lot of differences between G.A.D and getting _possessed_ by an _evil cloud of smoke_ that makes you turn _purple!”_

Logan let out a deep breath, trying to stop himself from getting angry. He had to remember that Virgil _had_ been through a lot lately and he was only trying to get his emotions out. Unfortunately, he was also being a massive dick.

“Students! Tests are out!” the teacher said. “Please be quiet for the duration of the period!”

Logan took one last look at Virgil, trying to reach out to him and let him know that everything would be okay. When Virgil didn’t even glance towards him, he went back to his paper with a defeated sigh. He had to stop thinking about Virgil and monsters and caves. For the next thirty minutes, all that mattered was the articles of the United States constitution.

Patton somehow couldn’t shake the sight of the rabbit from his mind. He had seen so many crazy things and barely spoken to anyone else that was there that night in a week. But the rabbit was what bothered him. He tugged on his binder as he went upstairs to class, trying to ignore how the fabric at the bottom rolled up and made it feel even tighter against his ribs. If he could survive _one more class_ then he could hide in the bathroom during lunch and take it off for five minutes. Or ten. Or maybe the whole hour. _I want to go home,_ he thought to himself as he kept walking.

His phone buzzed and he quickly stepped out of the flow of foot traffic to check it. It was a text from an unknown number.

**“Meet me outside the chorus room during lunch. Urgent.”**

Before Patton could even think of a response to type out, the warning bell rang and he found himself quickly shoving his phone back into his pocket and power walking to chemistry.

His lab partner had been absent that day, and he couldn’t tell if that was a blessing or a curse. On one hand, it was a lot easier to get work done with no one to distract you or ruin your work; on the other hand, he had nothing to distract him from the anxiety of waiting for lunch to come so he could find out who texted him. Was it Virgil? What would Virgil need him for? His heart began to race, slightly panicked but mostly hopeful. _Was he officially part of their group?_

He turned on the Bunsen burner and tried to burn those thoughts in the gas and fire. He had a job to do. He’d worry about the group later.

Roman packed up his music in a rush, trying not to bend anything as he slipped papers back into plastic folders but also not wanting to be late. If being friends with Logan had taught him anything, it’s not to be late to meetings. He threw his bag over his shoulder and escaped the upstream flow towards the cafeteria. He dogged bodies before falling against the chorus room’s brick walls. A breeze ruffled through his curly brown hair. He let out a calming sigh. It finally felt like fall- or at least as close to Fall as Florida ever got.

“Roman,” Patton said, his voice stuck somewhere between excitement and confusion. “Did you text me?”

“Oh, yeah, I forgot you don’t have me in your contacts,” he said with a laugh. “Sorry.”

“What did you want to see me for?”

Roman patted the ground next to him, inviting Patton to sit while he dug through his bag. Roman has always been the tallest of the group but his height was significantly more noticeable next to Patton. He pulled a jar out of his bag, it held an egg with yellow spots that gave off a subtle glow.

“No more dead animals,” Patton pleaded.

“Relax, this egg is empty,” he explained, turning to show Patton where it had broken open. “I saw the baby snake this morning,” he lied, “and it’s very much alive.”

“O…kay. But what does this have to do with me?”

“Well, you were with us that night. What if this is the next spirit? Don’t you want to be part of this too?”

Patton panicked. Of course, he wanted to be part of their group, but what did that even mean anymore? Did he have a choice over whether this spirit- Monster- _Thing_ picked him or not? What would happen if it _did?!_

“Did Remus have anything to do with this?” Patton asked.

Roman let out a sigh, keeping his eyes on the ground. “Yeeaaah.”

“And you _trust him?”_

“I don’t want to! But I can’t help but feel like he’s right about this! Ever since he took over, I can’t help but feel like I’m supposed to be connected to _you_ and to _this!”_

“Roman, I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“Truthfully? Neither do I,” he confessed. “But please-“ He put the jar in Patton’s hands- “just try, okay? We just need to see what happens.” Roman got up and walked away, leaving Patton completely alone with the jar.

He stuffed the jar into his bag, hoping to forget about it for a few hours. No matter what he tried, he couldn’t do it. The jar was always on his mind through every test, every lecture, and every homework assignment.

Eventually, he had no choice but to face it head-on. He took the jar out of his bag and placed it on his desk, staring at it intently. “What do you want from me?!” he yelled at it. The jar did not answer, as it is a jar.

“What? You- You’re here to torment me?! Because Roman and Virgil are- they’re- UGH!” He slammed his head into the desk and looked at his watch. It was nearly midnight and he could feel himself losing his mind to sleep deprivation.

_Tormented by your own mind. It’s a funny thing, isn’t it? This deeply human ability to split oneself in two?_

Patton groaned. “I don’t need this. I don’t need to suffer like Virgil and Roman are. I’m- I’m fine just hanging out with Emile. I only need Emile.”

_Oh, of course, you’re fine. You got a taste of belonging. You don’t need anymore. You’re perfectly fine with being alone when Emile leaves you._

Tears pricked at Patton’s eyes. “You’re not real.”

_Oh that’s where you’re wrong, young one. I’m as real as the earth and sky. I’m as real as flesh and blood. As real as the monster under your bed._

“Get out of my head!” Patton yelled, knocking the jar to the ground. It shattered and he jumped, his heart pounding in his chest as yellow smoke grew from the remains. The smoke took on the shape of a man with his left arm extended towards Patton and a snake coiled up in his hand. The snake curiously slithered out of his hand, though always connected from the end of its tail to the tip of the man’s fingers, and wrapped itself around Patton’s neck.

“Get out of your head?” The snake asked with a laugh.

“First,” the man of smoke continued, “I’d have to get _in.”_

The snake forced Patton’s mouth open and slithered inside as the rest of the smoke quickly followed, muting the boy’s pained screams and sobs. When all the smoke had cleared Patton found himself coughing and crying with his stomach twisting in knots. He ran to the bathroom half afraid of throwing up and half hoping that if he _did_ vomit he’d be back to normal as if nothing happened. Instead, he splashed water on his face to cool himself down. He looked up at the mirror and hardly recognized his reflection. Water dripped from his face and his hair. He gripped the counter, holding on as if it were the only thing keeping him from falling away into a different universe as he saw himself with one eye hazel and human and the other yellow and monstrous. He frantically grabbed his cell phone from his pocket and made a call that would change his life.


	4. How am I Going to be an Optimist About This?

As time went on, Patton was increasingly aware of how late it was. On the bright side, at least Roman was willing to video chat with him at 2 in the morning. “We’re never listening to one of Remus’s ideas EVER again!”

“Okay, okay, that’s on us,” Roman said. Patton shot him a glare. “Okay, me, that’s on me. Do you think Logan is going to get powers?”

“You are the _worst,_ ” Patton said. “Literally the worst.”

“Then why are you calling me?”

“Because _Virgil_ didn’t give me the jar.”

“I have a feeling that you’re mad at me.”

“Do you now?” Patton asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Okay, okay, the skin around your eye is a little, uh, you know,” Roman said. “Just keep your eye shut, tell your parents you have pink eye, and then _stay home.”_

“Okay.”

“Okay, Virgil and I will be over tomorrow after school. Just text me your address and we can sort this all out tomorrow- test your powers and all that.”

“What about my eye?” Patton asked.

“Well Virgil’s arm went back to normal after a few days,” Roman said. “But then again, he turned purple before he got possessed. I’m not so sure in your case.”

“This isn’t fair. How come Virgil and I get all mutated but you look fine?”

“Excuse you! I have grey roots coming in!”

Patton took a deep breath, knowing that if he screamed he’d get in trouble for being up so late. “My eye is _yellow,_ Roman! YELLOW!”

“Okay, okay,” Roman said, failing to hide his laugh. “Get some rest, you snake-eyed infant. Virgil and I will be around tomorrow afternoon.”

“What about Logan?”

Roman sat back for a moment, stretching out his face in his hands with a sigh. “Logan is… we’ll see. Expect me and Virgil, we’ll see if Specs is up to the challenge.”

“Okay,” Patton whispered. “Okay.”

“Goodnight, kiddo,” Roman laughed.

“Kiddo?” Patton asked but Roman had ended the call before giving a straight answer. He sighed and picked up an old teddy bear. He hugged the stuffed animal to his chest and sighed. “Well, Jack, we’ve got a long day ahead of us.”

Despite Patton’s mind racing with questions, it was late and his body was quick to shut down as soon as his head hit the pillow. His mind felt so active as he slept, as if his brain were made of snakes, untangling themselves and moving in any and all directions. His mind was plagued by a thousand philosophers all speaking in unison with conflicting words and values. It was all so _much._ So much noise. So much light. So many contradictions!

Patton had slept for six hours, but it had hardly felt like more than fifteen minutes. His head was pounding and he wished he could forget about all of the previous night’s events. He wished he could wake up and this would all be a bad dream. They would have never gone to the cave and Patton would be fine still just hanging out with Emile. No caves, no smoke, nor Roman or Virgil or Logan.

“Moooooooom!” he yelled, not even having the energy to get out of bed. “I don’t feeeeel goooood!” He kept his right eye shut tightly.

“Patton, you can’t just skip school every time you- oh dear lord,” his mother said, sitting on the edge of his bed. “Your eye looks terrible.”

“I think I should stay home,” he said. “Pink eye is awfully contagious.”

“Oh I suppose you’re right,” she said. “Just for today though, okay?”

Patton almost lost his façade. Convincing his mom to let him stay home had never been this easy before, and it always ended with him in some agreement to clean the house. Why was this time so different?

“Thanks, Mama,” he cooed with a bright smile.

“But if you’re staying home, you should at least give yourself a break from that binder. I know what those things can do to your ribs.”

“Fine,” he sighed.

“I love you, Cupcake.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

Patton had gotten dressed quickly, hiding his torso in a large grey hoodie, and grabbed his computer and notebook. He could remember the names of a few philosophers from his dream and he was determined to learn as much about them as possible. He started with the Greeks and, as he saw his reflection in his webcam, decided to write himself a reminder to read up on the gorgon sisters.

He read and reread articles as he wrote notes for the second, third, and fifth time. The names Kant, Plato, and Max Stirner popped up a lot. Patton decided that he certainly did not like Mr. Stirner.

When he heard the doorbell ring he got up in a panic. “Oh, fiddlesticks,” he swore as he looked at the time. He stumbled as he ran out of the room, his body weak from not eating all day.

“Friends of Patton? He didn’t tell me he was having friends over,” he heard his mom saying as he ran through the kitchen.

“It’s sort of last minute,” Roman explained. “We wanted to help him study!”

“Oh! Well, I’m Dot, it’s nice to meet you boys.”

“Roman Duke,” he said with a handshake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Cupcake, your friends are here,” his mom said with a smile.

“Cupcake?” Virgil asked with a laugh. Patton wanted to hit his head against a wall.

“OkaycoolthanksMombyenow!” Patton said, grabbing Virgil’s hand and running out towards his room. Only, he froze at the door. He hadn’t had time to clean or hide anything. What if they all thought he was childish?

“Patton, did you forget how to open a door?” Logan asked.

“Can we talk out here?”

“I, uh, don’t think that’s our best bet,” Virgil explained. “We need to keep this between us.”

“Okay,” Patton said with a sigh. He opened the door and drowned in the embarrassment of his pink walls and the stuffed animals and dolls that lined his shelves. “Watch your step,” he warned, pointing to the pile of broken glass on the ground. “I, uh, forgot to clean that earlier.”

“Are you okay?” Roman asked. “You’re, like, wobbling or something.”

“I, uh, I’ve been so busy with research,” he explained. “I haven’t had lunch yet. Or, you know, breakfast.”

Roman dropped his book bag in the hallway and pulled something out of it. It was the first time that Patton had noticed that only Roman brought anything in with him. He pulled out a foil rectangle and paused before asking, “You’re not vegan, are you?”

“No,” Patton said.

“Great.” Roman tossed him the foil. “Ham and cheese. Eat up, Kiddo.”

“Thanks, Ro.”

“Oh shit what happened to your eye?” Virgil asked, completely ruining the moment.

“Same thing that happened to your arm.”

“Curious,” Logan said, walking up to Patton and grabbing his face. He poked and prodded at the boy almost as if he forgot he was interacting with another human being. “Very curious.”

“Logan, he’s not a toy,” Virgil said.

“His eye isn’t human.”

“Logan.”

“Maybe this is irreversible.”

_“What?!”_

“LOGAN ZANDER HAMILTON!” Virgil shouted. “Let go of him.”

Logan released Patton, who quickly wiggled away with his sandwich in hand. Roman couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Your name is Logan Zander Hamilton?”

“Don’t.”

“Logan Zander Hamilton,” Roman sang. “Your name is Logan Zander Hamilton.”

“You’re dead to me.”

“You’re lame,” he retorted, sticking his tongue out like a child.

“Anyway,” Virgil said, rolling his eyes. “Patton, have you had any powers yet?”

“Powers?”

“Anything odd, no matter how small it might seem.”

“I guess?” Patton said. “We should probably step inside.”

All four boys awkwardly stepped around the glass with Virgil and Roman going to sit on Patton’s bed and Logan staying far away on the office chair. “My mom just… let me skip school today,” he said. “No negotiations or protests. I just said I shouldn’t go and she _agreed._ That _never_ happens!”

“We can’t rule out the possibility of mind control,” Roman said.

“What’s this?” Logan asked, picking up Patton’s notes.

“It’s a notebook, dipshit.”

“Chingas a tu madre.”

“Love you too.”

“Cut it out, Roman,” Virgil scolded.

“I was taking some notes earlier,” Patton explained. “You can take a look if you’d like, but I don’t know if it’ll do us any good.”

“Researching famous philosophers?” Logan asked, his voice sounding genuine for once. “I’m impressed.”

“Has, uh, _He_ told you anything?” Virgil asked. “Remus, he called me ‘Fear’s pet’ and I know that _means_ something.”

“Remus talks to me, sometimes,” Roman admitted. “Giving me… _instructions.”_

“Like giving me the jar.”

“Like giving you the jar. Sorry about that.”

“Apology considered,” Patton said.

“He talks about Fear sometimes,” he said. He turned to face Patton. “Of Morality.”

“And Knowledge,” Virgil said quietly. “The enemy of fear.”

“So there’s still another one of you guys out there?” Logan asked, looking up from Patton’s notes. “You have incredible handwriting.”

“I try,” Patton said with a smile.

“Not exactly,” Virgil said, exchanging a glance with Roman.

“No,” Roman said. “No way.”

“Roman, if we just _follow the plan-”_

“No! No, we’re solving one problem at a time and right now that means Patton. Nothing else.”

“What are you guys talking about?”

“The Fourth Spir-“

“This doesn’t concern you, Logan!” Roman yelled.

“Or maybe you can let Virgil speak, asshole,” Logan said.

“Logan, seriously, I’m just trying to protect you.”

“No, you aren’t! None of you care about ‘protecting’ me, you just expect me to solve your problems until things get _serious_ and then you act like I don’t matter!” he yelled. “I’m real fucking sorry that I’m not a complete fucking dumbass who purposefully gets himself involved in this shit-“ He glared at Patton- “but that doesn’t mean you can just exclude me!”

“Lo, I don’t want to exclude you which is why-“

“I don’t have time for your excuses, Virgil,” he snapped. “I’m leaving.”

“How? I’m your ride home,” Virgil said.

“I’ll walk!” And with that, Logan stormed out of the room, slamming the door and causing several toys to fall to the ground. Patton flinched as he ate the last of Roman’s sandwich.

“I’m sorry about that, Patton,” Virgil said. “ _Roman_ can be a bit of a drama queen.”

“Oh, you are _not_ blaming this on me!”

“He said it himself that he wants to be included.”

“You know what we went through, Virgil. What _Patton_ went though! I’m not dragging another person into this!”

“But Patton is okay?”

“Are you kidding me?! I feel like shit because of that!”

“Guys, please,” Patton whispered. “Stop fighting. It’s making my head hurt.”

“I’m sorry, Patton. It’s just that- okay, yeah, not helping your head. Sorry.”

“What are you debating?” he asked.

“Logan,” Virgil said.

“And… the fourth Spirit.”

“Well, that’s not ominous at all,” Patton said.

“There’s a way to summon Him- the Spirit of Knowledge. I- I just know it,” Virgil said. “And I think that power should go to Logan. He deserves it more than anyone else I know.”

“But does he deserve the _pain?”_ Roman asked. “Does he deserve to suffocate while faced with the knowledge that his life will never be the same ever again.”

“After that first night? None of our lives will ever be.”

“Our _high school_ lives. What happens when we get older? Go to college? Are you really going to force Logan to be reliant on all of us just because you have a cr-“

“Roman, that’s enough,” Virgil said, the lights in the room going in and out as sparkes jumped between his fingertips.

“Okay, before Virgil destroys my bedroom,” Patton said, grabbing a fresh notebook and taking a seat at the office chair. He scribbled something down quickly in chicken scratch that looked nothing like the handwriting that Logan has complimented. He spun the chair around to face Virgil and Roman. “Have either of you actually asked _Logan_ what he thinks about this?”

“We, uh, well-“

“No.”

“That’s what I thought,” Patton said, shaking his head disapprovingly. “Virgil, you want to make Logan feel included _but_ by keeping this discussion a secret you’re only excluding him even further.”

Virgil nodded, biting his lip as he looked away in shame.

“And Roman,” Patton continued, “not everyone wants to be saved. You can’t protect Logan without him needing to be protected. He’s been with us so far and isn’t it better that we’re a team instead of strangers with these powers?”

“Is one of your powers being captain of the debate team?” Roman asked.

“Nope!” Patton said with a proud smile. “But I am campaigning for that next year!”

“Smart kid,” Virgil said. “Hey, I think your eye is getting better.”

Patton pulled out his phone and examined himself in the camera. “The skin around it is,” he said. “Still yellow, though.”

“Maybe it’s an acceptance thing,” Roman said. He shrugged as the other two gave him questioning looks. “I’ve just noticed that the faster you come to terms with this bullshit, the faster you’re, uh, mutations go away.”

“Roman, you moron, you might be into something.”

“Okay, now you’re sounding like Logan.”

“I take that as a compliment,” Virgil said. “Oh, my cousin is having a Halloween party. Make sure you guys are there.”

“Weird plug, but go on.”

“Think about it, it’s the perfect chance to meet up and, if it’s what Logan chooses, summon the Spirit of Knowledge,” he explained. “And purple skin and a snake eye?” He gestured with his arms open as he leaned back. “No one will question it on Halloween.”


	5. The Echo in the Mirror

If there was one thing the Dormir cousins were famous for, it was parties. So, it was no surprise that Remy’s Halloween party was one of the biggest events of the year. It was also very exclusive, you had to know the right people to get in. Any regular student would have dropped everything for a chance to go. Anyone except for Logan Hamilton, who had barely spoken to Roman or Virgil in days.

It was Wednesday, October 30th and the lunch bell had just rung. “You can’t keep ignoring me forever, Logan,” Virgil said. Logan only walked away, giving him a silent message. “That’s a very rude hand gesture!” he yelled.

Virgil sighed, falling against the wall as Logan walked away. He felt a hand on his shoulder and didn’t even bother to look up. He already knew there was a fifty percent chance of it being Roman (and the other fifty percent chance of it being Remy). “He’ll be back eventually,” Roman said. “We just need to talk to him.”

“I’m _trying_ but he’s impossible to talk to when he’s angry. We’ve really fucked up.”

“Maybe we can get Patton to talk to him.”

Virgil laughed. “You think he’d listen to Patton?”

“What’s wrong with Patton?”

“Nothing,” Virgil said. “To us.”

“To us?”

“You’re pretty oblivious, Princey.”

“Oblivious,” Roman repeated. “Are you saying Logan has a crush on me and therefore won’t talk to Patton?”

Virgil pulled himself from the wall and took Roman’s hand as they walked down the hall. “First of all, you _wish_ Logan had a crush on you. I think you’re just looking for an excuse to change your name to Roman Hamilton.”

“Imagine marrying Logan Hamilton. I could never,” Roman teased.

“Shut up you’re getting off-topic.”

“Weirdly defensive about marrying Logan,” he teased, bumping into Virgil’s side with a laugh. He felt pain in his hand as Virgil’s fists grew tighter. “Ow. Ow. Ow. Okay, okay I take it back.”

“Even if I did have a crush on Logan, he’s straight,” Virgil said. “And you’re getting off-topic. He’s not listening to me, he’s obviously not going to listen to you, and Patton isn’t even in the same room as the table.”

“And, again, what’s wrong with Patton and why am I oblivious?”

“Logan doesn’t exactly, uh, _like_ Patton. And if you haven’t been able to notice that, you certainly have your head in the clouds.”

“I’m king of the clouds.”

“You’re not even a prince, _Duke.”_

“Touché.”

“I’ll send him a text,” Virgil said. “I just… hope he’ll respond.”

“You guys have been best friends since- what? Seventh grade?” Roman squeezed Virgil’s hand and leaned into him. “He’ll come around.”

Virgil leaned into the touch, both their heads pressed together as they turned a corner towards the school cafeteria. “This is worse than any fight we’ve ever had. I don’t know what to do.”

Roman stopped dead in his tracks. He took Virgil by the shoulders and looked him dead in the eyes. (He still had to grow used to the fact that Virgil was now taller than him. The growth spurt he had hit during his sophomore year was still a surprise.) “Everything is going to be fine,” he said. “You know how I know it will be? Because if Hamilton thinks he can hurt my second best friend then I’m going to kick his ass with my new weird crazy powers.”

“And what powers are those?”

“I’ll figure it out, okay? Now, c’mon, either Logan is going to come back and we can sort out this spirit situation. Or- _Or_ \- we forget about Logan for one night and I show you and Patton how to have a good time.”

“But what about-“

“Shhh.” Roman placed a finger over Virgil’s lips. “It’s a Remy Dormir party. We’re going to get drunk off our asses and have a great time. Okay?”

“Okay.”

It was Thursday, October 31, nearly 7:00 O’clock at night. When Roman had arrived Remy was busy locking the last of the bedroom and office doors, any room that would give him a death sentence if it were trashed.

“I brought drinks,” he announced, holding two plastic bags in his hands. Patton and Emile exchanged a glance, staring at Roman with quirked eyebrows. “Relax.” He pulled a bottle out from the bag. “It’s Sprite.”

“Ro, I’m glad you’re here,” Remy said, sliding three stacks of paper plates across the counter. “I need you guys to open these.”

“Great to see you too, Rem.”

“The pleasure is all yours I’m sure. Hey, hand me that pumpkin, will ya? Thanks, babe.”

“I’m pretty sure you call me that more than your own boyfriend.”

“Everyone else is ‘Babe’,” Remy explained, “Emile is ‘ba _by.’”_

Emile blushed, his face redder than his Steven Universe shirt. “R _eeeeemmmyyyy.”_

“Save that for the bedroom, baby,” Remy teased.

Roman shoved a finger in his mouth and gagged. “You two are disgusting.”

Remy raised an eyebrow and threw a tape dispenser at Roman’s head. “Oh, please, like you haven’t jerked it to m-“

“OKAY! _SHUT THE FUCK UP!_ ” he yelled, face bright red. He turned towards Patton and Emile. “Pro tip: Never fucking tell Remy about a crush.”

“I’d consider it a close matter,” he said, failing to hide a laugh. “Aww, c’mon it was _years_ ago.”

“And yet, you’re still an asshole about it.”

“You act like you still have feelings.”

“You act like I won’t shake you off this damn ladder.”

“Ouch. _Someone’s_ got a sore spot.”

“Ladder,” Roman warned. There was a knock on the door but it swung open before anyone could answer it.

“Sup, bitches! I brought beers!” Narcissa yelled. She wore all black with a leather jacket that could rival Remy’s own and a floppy witch hat that still had a price tag on the side. Her long black hair and choppy bangs framed her face nicely. She had a diamond stud in her nose and wore glittery purple eyeshadow.

“Eww.”

“Oh. Duke is here.”

“Ah. Draco can go fuck herself.”

The two stood silent, staring each other down for a total of five seconds before laughing and pulling each other into a hug. “Virgil pulled into the driveway a few seconds after me. He’ll be here in a few-“

“Sup, motherfuckers!”

“He’s here,” she deadpanned.

“Virgil! Virgil, look!” Roman said, smiling like a puppy. “It’s Narcissa.”

“Aww, it’s my chorus baby,” she cooed, ruffling Virgil’s hair. “We miss you.”

“Stop, stop, I spent an hour making this look perfect,” Virgil said. He was dressed head to toe in regal vampire gear with fake blood on his lips and chin.

“Lookin’ sharp, bloodsucker,” Roman complimented.

“Blood isn’t the only thing I suck,” he said with a wink. “Oh! Patton, you made it!”

“I did!” Patton said. “Any luck with, uh, you know who?”

Remy gasped as he jumped off the ladder. “Did someone take my title of You Know Who?!”

“That’s offensive to Lord Voldemort,” Narcissa said.

“Suck my dick, babe.”

“Only if you suck mine.”

“I haven’t had any luck,” Virgil said, taking a seat next to Patton. “I know he needs space, but I don’t know what to do. Our time is running out.”

“Emile,” Patton blurted out. “We could, uh, use Emile if Logan won’t agree.”

Virgil knitted his eyebrows together, glancing up and down at Patton as he wiggled in his seat. “You don’t sound too sure of yourself. Besides, replacing Logan would only make things worse.”

“You said yourself that we’re running out of time.”

“Patton, I-“

A voice escaped Patton’s throat, low and gravely, nothing like the young boy’s own. It said, “ _We only have tonight, Fear. What are you so afraid of?_ ” Patton slapped a hand over his mouth.

“Your face is turning green.”

“Your arms are turning violet.”

“Princey,” Virgil called, “can we see you real quick?”

“Yeah, what’s- Oh fuck.”

“Oh fuck indeed,” Virgil growled. He grabbed Patton and Roman’s hands and pulled them into the bathroom.

It’s Thursday, October 31, nearly 7:45 at night when Logan finds himself pacing in his bedroom, his eyes going up and down trying to reread a text Virgil had sent hours ago. He couldn’t think of a response.

_**Logan, we need to talk.** _

_**I’m so sorry about what happened at Patton’s house and I’m worried that I’ll never get to apologize enough. I know you and Roman don’t always get along, but he really does care about you. The two of us have been fighting trying to figure out what’s best for you but that’s a choice only you can make. We’ll be at Remy’s house tonight and I really hope I can see you there and properly make amends.** _

_**We found a way to summon the fourth spirit. His name is Knowledge and I can think of no one more deserving than you of that power. But above all, I want my best friend back. So, please, talk to me.** _

Logan practically had the message memorized by now. He paced back and forth watching time move forward as his battery drained. Should he stay angry at Virgil and Roman for trying to make this choice without him? Should he forgive them? Should he _accept this power?_ “Feelings,” he mumbled, “the bane of my existence.

Then his phone rang. His texts disappeared as a picture of Roman in a prince costume from behind the scenes of his last play took their place. Why was Roman calling? His finger hovered over the answer button before he finally gave in and clicked it.

“You have three seconds to explai-“

“Logan! Logan, oh thank fairy godmother you answered! We need your help!”

“Is this some sort of trap?”

“No! No, seriously, Virgil and Patton are here with me! We- We don’t know what’s going on! Patton has like- like _scales_ or something! And Virgil looks like he barely escaped the Wonka factory!”

“Roman, your eyes,” he could hear Patton saying. “They’re _red.”_

“Logan! Just, please, we’re at Remy’s house! Get here as fast as you ca-” The line went dead. The clocks around him slowed, time never fully halting. The room began to dim. 

“Roman?” Logan asked, frantically trying to call him back. Every attempt failed. His heart was pounding in his chest. He was having a panic attack but he didn’t even have the time to pull himself out of it. He ran for his bedroom door, trying to pull it open but the handle wouldn’t budge.

“You are not needed there. Not yet,” a voice spoke.

Logan’s eyes welled with tears as he frantically pulled at the door handle. “LET ME OUT!” he screamed. “ROMAN NEEDS ME! LET ME OUT OF HERE!”

“No one can hear you now, Logan Zander Hamilton,” the voice said. “We have temporarily pulled apart from the known universe. There is no one outside that door. It’s only you and me. I suggest we have a little chat.”

Logan pressed his back against the door and fell to the ground, hugging his knees. “My- My friends,” he choked out. “They need me. They need me!”

“ _We_ need you, Logan Zander Hamilton,” he said, almost perfectly mimicking Virgil’s voice. Almost, yet too robotic. He wasn’t as caring and compassionate as Virgil always was. He appeared as a reflection in the mirror, a perfect doppelgänger to Logan but with something cold and robotic in his eyes. He looked like a man but he could not pass as human. “My friends and yours are now one.” He pressed his hand against the glass and walked through as easily as someone would walk through a wall of gelatin. And with that, the mirror seemed to bounce back as easily as gelatin without so much as a crack to prove that he had broken through. As he stepped closer, Logan could see how inhuman his eyes were. He was the cosmos hidden inside of a human shell. “Join me- _Join us_ \- and learn the secrets of your existence.”

“If- If I do this,” he asked, trying to wipe away the last of his tears, “will I be able to save my friends?”

“With the power of knowledge, you can save humankind.”

“They aren’t human, are they? Not anymore, at least. They’ve been… _infected.”_

“How observant of you.”

“I don’t need to save humankind,” he said, “I just need to save _them.”_

“Any panic or pain they are experiencing now is only at the cost of summoning me,” Knowledge said. “Whether aware or not, they have brought me to you. Neither I nor them will be at rest until I have a vessel.”

“For Virgil,” Logan said, “and for Roman. And Patton.” He stuck out his hand towards Knowledge. “I’ll do it.”

Knowledge took Logan’s hand. His human shell melted away and Logan found himself being blinded by the pure light in front of him. He expected to choke and cry in pain as Virgil and Roman had done. Instead, he found warmth traveling from his fingertips through his veins and arteries. He found warmth traveling through him in all directions. His head felt light and his chest felt full of the purest air.

Logan woke up from his bed. He slid on his glasses and looked at his reflection in his phone’s camera. His eyes held pools of stars. He was the cosmos inside of a human shell. He felt enlightened.

Logan put his phone in the pocket of his jeans, grabbed a jacket, and ran out of his house as fast as his legs would take him. When he got to Remy’s house his heart was pounding in the best possible way. He walked in, dodging students as he made his way towards the bathroom.

“LOGAN!” Virgil yelled, smiling brightly as the lights around them flickered with electricity.

“Maybe don’t destroy the lights here,” Logan teased. “You guys summoned a spirit. How the _hell_ did you do that?”

“I, uh, think that was my fault,” Patton said meekly.

“It was _Morality_ who started it,” Virgil corrected. “Not Patton.”

“Is there any difference?” Patton asked.

“Yes,” Logan said. “And no matter what, we must remember that there _are_ differences between us and the spirits using us for personal gain.”

“Woah,” Roman whispered, leaning close to Logan. “Your eyes look _wicked_ right now.”

“You accepted his powers,” Virgil said in disbelief. He smiled brightly, pulling Logan into a hug. “We’re superheroes!”

“We haven’t done anything heroic,” Logan said. “Being superhuman does not automatically make one a hero.”

“Be gay, fight crime,” Roman announced. Virgil shot him a look. “That’s going to be my motto. I’m copyrighting it as we speak.”

“You’re such a nerd,” Logan said with a laugh.

“That’s Logan’s way of saying ‘I love you.’”

“No, it’s just my way of calling you a nerd.”

There was an annoyed knock at the door. “Can you guys have your orgy somewhere else? You’ve been in there for nearly an hour,” Remy yelled.

The three of them laughed, their skin and faces slowly returning to normal. “Well, my friends,” Roman said. “Welcome to the rest of our lives.”


End file.
